Thursday, April 16th, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman and Subcommittee Chair Ed Markey introduced The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES). This is a first step for a cleaner future that will benefit all of us in the long run. It will be an uphill battle of course because the oil and coal industry have been the status quo for energy in the U.S. since the last major transformation in our country—the industrial revolution. And with quarterly earnings that netted upwards of 40 billion dollars for some of them not long ago, there are some mighty deep pockets to push propaganda and thwart efforts for new innovative replacements for petro/coal based energy. So be prepared to see all types of ads this week since April 22 is EARTH DAY.
The new ACES bill addresses global warming concerns but will it also embrace measures to safeguard wildlife and habitat? We’ve seen them left out in the cold before. According to Defenders of Wildlife, “Scientists warn that global warming could threaten one-third of the world’s plant and vertebrate animal species with extinction by 2050.”
I’ve already done blogs about reductions in fish, bird, and bat populations. The apes are always at risk, as are elephants mainly due to loss of habitat by increasing populations of people and their needs. We destroy and do not replace, and we pollute and do not clean up after ourselves.
Defender’s urges: “That’s why it’s crucial that comprehensive global warming legislation include dedicated policies and funding to ensure wildlife can survive in a changing climate.
Please contact your Representatives to urge them to support this bill and strengthen the legislation by dedicating 7 billion dollars of the revenues from it to safeguard both wildlife and natural resources from the impacts of climate change.
Monroe’s Rep. is John Dingell – (313) 278-2936 or click on Defender’s of Wildlife link on my home page.
I’ve already called this morning and evidently Rep. Dingell is getting a lot of calls about this. His office stated he is very much interested in this bill and the future of wildlife and habitat.